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f w UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE XV. BOWLSBY AND YVILLIAM H. BOVLSBY, OF MONROE, MIOH.

PHOTOGRAPHIC-PRINTING FRAME.

Spccifieation forming part of Letters Patent No. 42,637, dated May 10, 1864.

To all whom fit may co'ncem:

Be it known that we, GEORGE W.BoWLsBY and WILLIAM H. BowLsBY, of Monroe, in the county of Monroe and State of Michigan, have invented new and useful Improvements in Photograph Printing-Frames and we hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference thereon.

The nature of our invention consists in makin g a photograph printing frame more compact, more complete, oonvenient, and cheaper than those heretofore used,and in so arrangin g the parts and fastenin g them together that they need never be separated, and, therefore, saving the consequent delay ot looking up the different parts to use under the Varving orcumstances.

It is a frame of Wood, with a cloth lining inside to cushion the negative, a series of rings in the aperture to Vary the size of the pictures, a pocket under the cloth lining to hold the same when not in use, a combination of latches, catches, and springs to close the frame onto the negative, and a. screen to shut out the light when too strong.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of the frame, partially opened. Fig. 2 is an outside plane view. Fig. 3 is an inside plane view. Fig. 4 is a crosssection of one of the protraetor-rings. Fig. 5 is a cross-section of the glass screen and sliding ways.

Similar letters of reference refer to like parts.

Al A2 A3 is the frame, of wood, hinged together as shown at B B, and consists of three pieces, one piece, A', being a complete half of the frame, the other half consisting of the two pieces, A2 and A3, divided at about one-third of the distancefrom the hinging of the two halves with a bevel cut, as shown at B.

The whole of the inside is covered with a cloth, O O O, to act as a cushion to hold the negative firmly in place, and also to prevent breakage.

The object of the bevel cut at B is to pre- 1 vent the disturbance of the sensitive paper in its seat on the negative when lifting the cover a to observe the progress of the printing.

D D are rings, of paper-pulp, hard rubber, gutta-percha, papier-mach, pressed leather, wood, or any other semi-elastic and suitable E material, and made of a form to fit the aperture E, and with a proper bevel, as shown in Fi g. 4, to shade off the print and vary its size at pleasure, and when not wanted in the aperture are put away in the pocket F under the cushion O and buttoned down by the little thin metal button shown at G, said button being lifted from the wood sufficiently to pass readily over the cloth by the little metal washer, and pierced by the fastening hingescrew and carried around on the wire traveler h, all shown at G h.

The pocket F is a cavity sunk in the wood of the depth and size of the rings.

The thin metal buttons I I I serve to hold in the protractor-rings, and they swing into the recesses cut into the cushions d d d when not in use.

The latches l l l swing upon wire staples n n n, and lock over onto the catches m m m, said catches being at the end of the springs S S, which are sunk into the Wood of the opposite hali` of the frame and grasp the frame onto the negative and the printing paper. Sloping gains are sunk under the springs to permit their working.

The springs serve the triple purpose of adapting the frame to different thicknesses of negatives, equalizin g the pressure on the glass,

and makea uniformlyfirm catch t'or thelatches under all ciroumstances.

The screen S 0 is made of two plates of commou glass with a thin paper lining between them, and made to adhere firmly together for increased strength by any adhesive substancc that is of proper transparency, as gum-arabic solution, starch, oil, Sao. The plates are then bound with a thin frame of brass at the edges, wrapping it completely, except the aperture t. It is made to traverse on slidin g ways or travelers of wire W W, more than twice its own length, is fastened at the ends with a coil about projecting screws, and lifted a little from the plaue by said coil. The wires pass through the metal binding between the edges of the glass plates and the curved walls of the binding the whole length of two sidcs of the screen in the line of traverse. It is so arranged as to be readily placed over the aperture E when the sunlight is strong and pre- Vents the sharp outline of print so undesirable, and when the sun is obscured is readily removed to admit the weakencd light. The

doubling of the glass and the cementing it together on the paper or cloth lining greatly increascs its strength, so much so as to require a severe blow to break it, therefore insnring it against accident. The friction of the screen upon the plane of the frame and on the travelers W W insures the retention of the frame in its seat wherever desired.

Having thus fully described our improved frame, we will proceed to compare its merits with those in use.

VVe are not aware that any other photographprinting frame has been made entirely in one piece, including all the parts that are desirable, as in this frame, namely, holder A', grip A2, lid A3, latches L LL, springs S S, catches m m m, screen S O, cushions C (J O, protractorrings D l), with thin pocket F. Some of these parts in various forms, difierent from these, have been more or less united, and some of them absent, but never so but that it was necessary to hnnt up something that had strayed from the frame in order to its complete working under all circumstances. This is of very great importance, as when a great number are used thev different parts get so mixed up as to great] y delay the various manipulations. The

parts are all 'so attached together as to permit" the frequent examination of the print with the least delay and without pinching the grip A2 onto the negative and against the bed A' of the frame to keep the sensitive paper and negative in their places while turning the print up to view, and the fastenings are so readily opened and closed as to make the least possible delay in such eXamination, which is very important, especially when the number of prints is great or the light strong and the printing rapid.`

The dispositon of the'parts in relation to each other is such as to make the whole very compact, there being no surplus material in it of any kind; therefore a greater number can be placed'in the limited space usually to be had with the proper light.

The screen is much cheaper than the ground or obscured glass of commerce, and is tenfold stronger because of the crossing of the lines of fraeture, as no two plates of glass can possibly be striated in exactly the same direction, and this, in addition to the increased thickncss, and also the accessory strength of the fibrous material between the plates and the adhesive power of the cement, together with the absorption of the strain or jar (in case of sudden and violent contact) by the cushioning or deadening effect of the fibrous material between, and therefore not any more liable to breakage than the rest of the frame, as it would be with a frail plate of single glass or paper only, as generally used. The smooth glass surfaces are also readily cleaned of grease and dirt, which is not the case with the furrowed ground glass or the softened and absorbing surface of the obscured glass, which is of no little account in the under surface, especially of the screen, as it is not readily reached. The ways W Wact as aready means of alterin g the position of the screen, and at the same time hold it just where wanted.

Having thus described our invention, we (lonot claim the hinging together of some of theA principal parts of a photograph-printin g frame 5 but What we (lo claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The protractor-rings D l), with their fastenings I I I.

2. The pocket F. 8., The combined latches L L L, catches m m fm, and Springs S S.

4. The screen S C, with the ways VV W, made substantially in the manner described.

5. The cushioning of both sides of the negai tive, instead of one only, as heretofore done, and which is here complete, as shown at O O O. 6.' The combinationl of all the devices for the purposes set forth in the manner hereinabove shown.

GEORGE W. BOWLSBY. WM. H. BOWLSBY.

Witnesses:

L. H. RnYNoLDs, THos. SHERCK. 

